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Bhattal, Amarinder’s “silence” on price rise issue questioned

CHANDIGARH: Punjab’s Minister for Information and Public Relations, Water Supply, Sanitation, Science, Technology and Environment, Bikram Singh Majithia, has questioned the “mysterious silence” maintained by the president of the Punjab unit of the Congress, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, and former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh over rising prices and inflation.

In a statement issued here, Mr. Majithia said the silence of the Punjab Congress cast serious doubts over the party’s pro-poor claims. He sought immediate clarification from the two Congress leaders about the policies and performance of the UPA Government at the Centre which had failed to control the fast rising prices of essential commodities.

Mr. Majithia said the failure of the UPA regime to check the spiralling prices of steel had proved to be a death-knell for the small and medium industry in Punjab which was being forced to skip trade orders.

He said at a time when people were reeling under the impact of price rise, Congress leaders were busy making exaggerated assertions about the loan waiver scheme for farmers by the Central Government, which had proved to be a complete flop show, as only a negligible number of farmers in Punjab would benefit.

Warning that the people were waiting for the general elections to give a befitting reply to the Congress for its policies, Mr. Majithia countered allegations that the present Akali-BJP government in Punjab had reversed the development process.

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